Wrench.



R. .I. COLSON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 191s.

1,23 1, 1 3 1 Patented June 26, 1917.

ATTORNEY a non.

ROBERT J. COLSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed April 18, 1916. Serial No. 91,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. CoLsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in a Wrench, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches and the primaryobject is to provide a pipe wrench for use in turning pipes or pipefittings and containing means for preventing the slipping of the pipeengaging jaws while the wrench is in. operation.

As a further object of the invention'the device contemplates theprovision of means which will be constructed for causing the teeth ofthe gripping jaws to grip the pipe or pipe fitting with a firmer gripthan is obtained in the wrenches of ordinary construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pawl providedwith teeth for engaging the shank of the wrench whereby the movable jawof the wrench will be held in the desired position for causing thegripping jaws to engage the pipe.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a wrench whichconsists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construotion,but'durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to whichdevices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and meritsthereof, reference is to be had to the following description and theaccompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of myinvention, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The stationary jaw 1 is provided with the extended shank 2 in the usualmanner. The inner edge of the shank 2 is provided with a plurality ofteeth or serrations 3. Slidably mounted on the shank 2 is the movablejaw 4 which is provided with an interior recess 5 having mounted thereina pawl 6 which is rotatably mounted on the pivot pin 7. The pawl 6 isprovided with teeth 8 which are adapted to engage the teeth 3 of theshank 2. For moving the teeth 8 into and out of engagement with theteeth of the shank 2, I provide the pawl 6 with a finger handle 9 whichextends outwardly from the recess 5 within convenient reach of theoperator of the wrench. The teeth 8 0f the pawl 6 are adapted to benormally held in engagement with the teeth 3 by the flat spring 10 whichis secured by the screw 11 to the wall of the recess 5 while the freeend of the flat spring engages the pawl at a point at which it willexert a pressure against the pawl for normally holding the teeth of thepawl in engagement with the teeth of the shank.

The stationary jaw 1 is provided with opposed recesses 0r depressions 12which are adapted to receive the ears 13 of the auxiliary gripping jaw14. The front of the gripping jaw 14 is provided with a plurality ofteeth 15 which are disposed at an angle and extend upwardly as shown byFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing itwill be observed that the formation of the auxiliarv gripping jaw 14 issubstantially U-shape and the ears 13 which extend from both sides ofthe jaw are integrally formed with the leg portions of the U-shapeauxiliary gripping jaw. By placing the recesses 12 on opposite sides ofthe stationary jaw 1 and constructing them of a depth suflicient toreceive the ears 13 of the gripping jaws, there remains an edge face 17on the inner edge of the stationary jaw upon which is mounted one end ofthe flat spring 18 secured to the edge 17 by a screw- 19 and its freeend is engaged with the end of the U-shaped gripping jaw for exerting apressure against the end of the jaw, whereby it may be held in angularlydisposed position as is clearly indicated by Fig. 2 of the drawing. 'Itwill be observed that the slots 12 of the stationary jaw 1 are arrangedadjacent the inner portion of the jaw. On the outer portion of themovable jaw 4 are similar recesses or depressions 20 .and thesedepressions receive the ears 13 of the jaw 14 which is of the sameconstruction as the jaw 14, it being merely mounted in reversed positionwith respect to the jaw 14. The teeth of the jaw 14 are thereby disposedat an angle opposite to the angular disposition of the teeth 15 of thejaw 14. A flat spring 18 is also employed in connection with jaw 14 andis secured by a screw 19' and has its free end in engagement with theend of the gripping jaw 14.

In operation, the jaws 14 and 14 are will then be released, it havingbeen first disengaged from the shank 2, and the jaw 4:.

will thereby be locked in operative position. A turning movement of thewrench will cause the teeth of the gripping jaws to tightly grip thepipe and, by virtue of the flat springs, the jaws will be prevented fromslipping while the wrench is being operated.

In reduction to practice I have found that the form of my inventionillustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practicable, yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in the details ofconstruction, proportion and arrangementof'parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any ofthe advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. In a pipe wrench, the combination with' a stationary and a movablejaw, the said stationary jaw being provided with a shank havingserrations formed on one edge, and a movable jaw being slidably movableupon said shank, of auxiliary jaws carried by said stationary andmovable jaws, said auxiliary jaws being pivotally mounted upon thestationary and movable jaws, each of said auxiliary jaws being adaptedto swing toward the other and provided with teeth, and aspring elementcarried by the movable and the stationary jaw and resiliently engagingthe said auxiliary jaws for normally holding said auxiliary jaws at anangle and for giving them a tendency to engage each other.

2. In a pipe wrench, the combination of a stationary and a movable jaw,said sta-v tionary jaw having a shank upon which said movable jaw ismounted, each of said jaws provided with a depression on their oppositesides whereby a comparatively narrow face is provided on each of saidjaws at one portion thereof, auxiliary jaws provided with earsstraddling said restricted face portions and pivotally engaged withinthe recesses in said movable and stationary jaws, one of said auxiliaryjaws being disposed in the opposite position to that as sumed by theother gixiliary jaw, and fiat springs having their ends secured to therestricted face portions in said stationary and movable jaws andresiliently engaging said auxiliary jaws.

3. In a pipe wrench, the combination with a pair of main jaws, onestationary and the other movable, the stationary jawpro vided with ashank having a plurality of serrations formed on one edge, of auxiliaryjaws carried by said main jaws, the gripping portions of said auxiliaryjaws being U-shaped,'ears carried by the leg portions of the U-shapedjaws, said main aws being provided with depressions in their sides forreceiving said ears, and carrying pivot pins upon which said auxiliaryjaws are pivot-1 ally mounted, and a locking pawl pivotallymounted onthe movable main jaw and adapted to engage the serrations pn said shank.I.

i 4. In a pipe wrench, the combination.

with a pair of main jaws, one stationary and the other movable, thestationary jaw provided with a shank having a plurality; of serrationsformed on one edge, of aux-" iliary jaws carried by said main'jaws, the

gripping portions of said auxiliary jaws b'e mg U-shaped, ears carriedby the leg portions of the U-shaped jaws, said main jaws being providedwith depressions in their sides for receiving said ears, and carryingpivot pins upon which said auxiliary jaws are pivotally -mounted, saidmovable main jaw being also provided with an enlarged recess openingfrom the edge opposite to the edge upon which said auxiliary jaw ismounted, a locking pawl pivotally mounted within the recess and providedwith a handle disposed outwardly beyond the main jaw, and a flat springfor normally holding said pawl in engagement with the serrations on saidshank.

5. In a pipe wrench, the combination with a pair of main jaws, onestationary and the other movable, the side face of the a said jaws beingprovided with depressions, the proximate edges of the said main jawsbeing substantially flat at right angles to the shank of the saidstationary jaw, auxiliary jaws provided with ears disposed within thesaid depressions, the main jaws carrying pivot pins for receiving thesaid ears, the gripping portions of the said auxiliary jaws beingsubstantially U-shaped, the said ears projecting from the legs of the'U-shapedportions, and a flat spring carried by each of the saidproximate edges of the said main jaws and having its free end engagedwith the connecting portion of the said U-shaped portions whereby thesaid auxiliary jaws will normally be held at an angle to the proximateedges of the main jaws and in parallelism with each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. COLSON. Witnesses:

EUGENE S. CANDA, EnwARn M. CANDA.

